Formaldehyde-fumigator.



No. 746,731. v PATENTED p30. 15, 1903 s. M. MORRIS,

FORMALDEHYDE FUMIGATO'R.

J PPLIGATION FILED MAB; 7, 1903- NO MODEL.

as I l ar NITED STATES latented fiecembe'r 15, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

SETH M. MORRIS, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO GERMICIDE GAS COMPANY, OF AUSTIN,

TEXAS CORPORATION OF TEXAS.

FORMALDEHYDE-FUMIGATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 746,731, dated December 15, 1903- Application filed March '7, 1903. Serial No. 146,74A. (No modeld To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SETH ill. MORRIS, a citi-v zen of the United States, residing at Galveston, Galveston county, State of Texas, have 5 invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fumigators and Gas-Generators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference'being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in 'which- Figure 1 is an elevation, partlyin section, certain of the parts being broken away; and

:5 Fig. 2 is a fragmentary bottomplan view,

partly in section. p

My invention relates to improvements in fumigators and gas-generators, the present apparatus being particularly adapted for producing formaldehyde gas and for furnigating a room or the like by the use of such gas.

0ne object of the invention is to provide a construction by means of which gas can be rapidly generated by the use of an oxidizing or catalytic device. A further object is to,

provide means whereby gas can first be generated in a relatively dry condition .and moisture can then be added to the gas; and a further objectis to provide an apparatus by means of which the wood-alcohol or'other suitable liquid can be. rapidly evaporated, the evaporation being substantially uniform over the whole surface from which evaporation takes place. 7

To these ends and also to improve generally upon apparatus'of the character indicated, my invention consists in thevarious matters hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring now more particularly to the 40 drawings, the reference-numeral l is applied to supportingstandards,here shown as four gas has greater penetrating powers than in number, which standards are preferably provided with suitable feet and serve to support the various parts of the present device, and 2 is a font supported upon said stand-- ards near their lowerends and having itstop open, said font being adapted to receive the wood-alcohol or other liquid to be employed in the production of the gas. 5o 3 indicates generally the oxidizing or cataevaporate.

lytic device, which is adapted to be supported above the liquid in the font.

4. represents an adjustable smotheringplate, and 5 is an open water-pan, which is supported above the font 2 and the oxidizing 5 5 device 3. I

In the general operation of my apparatus wood-alcohol or other suitable liquid is placed in the font, the smothering-plate is supported in elevated position, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, and the oxidizing device is also supported in elevated position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The vapor arising from the font b'eing'ignited, the flame plays upon the said oxidizing device and is permitted to continue to do so until the oxidizing or catalytic material is sufficiently heated, this material beingin practice heated to such anextent that it is caused to glow. The oxidizing device is then lowered to the position shown 7ov by full linesin Fig. 1, and in most instances this will be sufficient to extinguish the flame from the alcohol. Should the flame not.be extinguished by the oxidizing device, however, the smothering-plate is lowered to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and after the flame has been extinguished said smothering-plate is returned to its elevated position. The heated oxidizing or catalytic material causes the evaporate, the alcohol-vapor passing through the oxidizing material and undergoing oxidation, whereby the wood-alcohol vapor is transformed into formaldehyde gas, the oxidation being suflicient to cause the oxidizing or catalytic material to continue to glow and to thus cause the alcohol to continue to This general action is well understood and will therefore not be further described in this specification. go

It is well known that dry formaldehyde moist formaldehyde gas, and it is also well known that moist formaldehyde gas has greater germicidal powers than hasdry formaldehyde gas. In fumigating by the use of formaldehyde gas it is a common practice to permit a considerable quantity of water-vapor to discharge into the compartment being fumigated in order to secure the germicidal ef- 10o alcohol to continue to 80 feet of moist formaldehyde gas; but this water-vapor forms a water seal upon articles in the room, and thus prevents the thorough penetration of the gas. In the present apparatus the water-pan 5 is supported above the font and the oxidizing device and in the direct path of the heated gas radiating from the apparatus. When the generation of gas is commenced, the water is of course cold or cool, and as the water-pan is supported a considerable distance above the font and the oxidizing device no evaporation of water takes place until after the apparatus has been in operation for some length of time. During this time and before the evaporation of the water commences a sufficient amount of formaldehyde gas has been generated to thoroughly penetrate the substances in the compartment being fumigated, and after this penetration by the gas the Water commences to evaporate and charges the room with moisture. In this manner I am enabled to take advantage of the penetrating powers of the dry gas and to also take advantage of the germicidal powers of the moist gas, the initial production of dry gas and thelater mixture of moisture with the gas being made possible without any action on the part of an attendant, whereby the desired results can be obtained by merely starting the action of the apparatus and then leaving the same.

Such being the general construction and operation of the present apparatus its details are now to be considered. The font 2 is provided with a vertical central air-tube 6 and has its peripheral wall at a point above said air-tube provided with draft-openings 7, a damper-ring 8 being properly supported upon the font-casing in order to codperate with the said openings7 and a lever 9 pivotally supported upon the font-casing having one end connected to said damper-ring and its other end provided with a damper-plate 10, which is adapted to control the lower end of said central draft-tube 6. By reason of this construction the damper-ring and the damperplate 10 are caused to move simultaneously. Before lowering the oxidizing member for the purpose of extinguishing the flame the draftopenings are of course closed, said openings being again opened after the flame is extinguished in order to permit proper evaporation of the liquid in the font.

Of course many absorbent materials can be employed, as the wick in the font; but I prefer to employ sections 11 of asbestos rope, these sections being arranged vertically and properly packed in the font. By reason of the employment of said sections I am enabled to obtain a substantially even evaporatingsurface, it being possible to cut the sections of rope to the desired length, and the vertical arrangement produces extremely satisfactory capillaryattraction. The draft-openings being in the center and also at the periphery of the font, air is supplied in proper quantities over the whole surface of absorbent material, so that evaporation from said surface is substantially uniform, and thus serves to uniformly heat the oxidizing device over the entire surface of the latter.

For the oxidizing or catalytic material I prefer to employ carded or otherwise finely-divided asbestoswool impregnated with a proper agent, such as copper oxid, this material being here shown as supported by a suitable frame. The present frame comprises separable sect-ions l2 and 13, the peripheral ring of one of which is adapted to'fit within the other thereof, and the ring of each section supports a piece of fine wire mesh 14, the oxidizing or catalytic material being received between these meshes of Wire-gauze and the frame being conveniently held together by thread (preferably of copper Wire) 15, sewed through the wire-gauze and through the asbestos wool. Upon the upper frame-section 12 is an outwardly-extending flange 16, which when the frame is in lowermost position is adapted to rest upon the upper edge of the font-casing, the bottom of the said frame when the frame is supported in said lowermost position being above the draft-openings 7.

The vertical standards 1 extend upwardly above the font and are provided with vertical slots 17, which have suitable angular extensions 18, 19, and 20. Pins 21, extending outwardly from the frame supporting the oxidizing material, are confined in the said slots 17 and are adapted to enter the angular extension 18, and thus support the said frame in its elevated position. Suitable handles 22 are also provided upon the said frame in order to permit the same to be readily manipulated, these handles being oppositely placed and only one of them being here shown.

In fumigating by means of a gas it is of course important that the gas be generated rapidly in a large volume, so that the gas is generated much more rapidly than it can escape from the room being fumigated. If the oxidizing material be supported a considerable distance above the surface fromwhich the alcohol evaporates, the production of gas is necessarily slow. If, onthe other hand, the oxidizing material of the character of the present he supported only a short distance above the surface from which the alcohol is evaporated, said material frequently causes the alcohol-vapor to become ignited, and such ignition is of course undesirable. In the present construction the oxidizing material is supported upon and inclosed between wire-gauze or perforated metal, fine copper wire-gauze being preferable. This enables the said material to be supported a very short distance above the surface from which the alcohol is evaporated without causing the alcohol-vapor to ignite, the action of said gauze to prevent this ignition being well understood. In the present machine, therefore, the oxidizing material can be supported a very short distance above the wicks 11 and the for|naldehyde gas is quickly produced in a large volume, there being no danger of ignition of the vapor.

I preferably provide the font with an outwardly-extending flange 16 is supported, and place a ring of asbestos or like material 24 upon the supporting-surface of said flange 23, so that the said flange 16 can rest directly upon the asbestos or other packing ring, and thus prevent escape of vapor between the said flanges l6 and 23.

The smothering-plate t is provided with outwardly-extending pins 25, which are confined in the before-mentioned slots1'7 and are adapted to enter the before-mentioned angular extensions 19 in order to cause the smothering-plate to be supported in elevated position. The smothering plate is preferably dished, as shown, so that its lower edge can fit snugly upon the before mentioned packing-ring 24, the smothering-plate having suitable cut-out portions at its lower edge to receive the pins 21, projecting from the frame which carries the oxidizing material. The smothering-plate is also preferably provided with handles 26. The water-pan 5 is provided with outwardly extending pins 27, which are here shown as confined in the before-mentioned slot 17 and adapted to enter the angular extensions 20 in order to'support said pan in proper position, the pan being also provided with handles 28. The said pan can be fixedly supported, if so desired, or it can be made integral with the smotheringplate and be adjustable, these being matters which can be varied at will without departing from my invention.

Preferably a chamber 29 is supported upon the present apparatus, said chamber being here shown as supported upon the inwardlyextending upper ends 30 of the before-mentioned standards 1, and this chamber is adapted to be employed for burning sulfur or other chemicals whose fumes it may be desired to liberate in the compartment being fumigated.

The present apparatus can be readily and cheaply made and assembled and can be readily transported and conveniently operated by unskilled persons.

By the use of the present apparatus a very large quantity of formaldehyde gas can be quickly generated, and, furthermore,'the dry gas can be first generated, so that this dry gas can thoroughly penetrate materials in the compartment being to migated, and then moisture is mixed with the gas in order to permit its full germicidal effects to be taken advantage of. In order to fill the font when the oxidizing member is in lowermost position, it is only necessary to lift one side of said member, the said member being thus tilted and affording a passage through which the alcohol or other liquid can be poured.

I am aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and flange 23, upon which thedescribed without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

-Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An oxidizing member of the character indicated com prising telescopin g f rame-rings, wire-gauze sheets upon said respective rings, oxidizing material between said gauze sheets, and a supportingflange upon one of said rings and extending laterally therefrom; substantially as described.

2. An oxidizing member of the character indicated comprising a mass of finely-divided material of the character of wool impregnated with an oxidizing agent, and reticulated members between which said mass of material is confined; substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character indicated, supporting-standards, a font supported thereon, an oxidizing member above said font and also supported upon said standards, and a vertically-adjustable smothering-plate also supported upon said standards; substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the character indicated,supporting-standards,a font supported thereon, an oxidizing member adj ustably supported upon said standards, and a smothering-plate also adjustably supported upon said standards; substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a font having an open top, supports rising from said font, an oxidizing member supported upon said supports, and a waterpan above said oxidizing member and also supported upon said supports; substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a skeletonframe comprising supporting-standards, a font supported upon said standards, an oxidizing member supported upon said standards, and a water-pan also supported upon said standards; substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus of the character indicated,supporting-standards,a font supported thereon, an oxidizing member adjustably supported upon said standards, a smotheringplate also adjustably supported upon said standards and above said oxidizing member,

and a water-pan above said smotheringplate; substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus of the character indicated, supporting-standards provided with elongated slots having angular extensions, a font, and an oxidizing member providedwith pins received in said slots and cooperating with said angular extensions; substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus of the-character indicated, supporting-standards, each of which is provided with an elongated slot having a plurality of angular extensions, 2. font, an oxidizing member having pins entering said slots and cooperating with said angular extensions, and asmothering-plate also having IIO pins received in said slots and cooperating with said angular extensions; substantially as described.

10. In an apparatus of the character indi cated, a skeleton frame comprising supporting-standards, a font supported upon said standards, means for transforming vapor from said font into formaldehyde gas or the like, and a receptacle for chemicals also supported upon said standards; substantially as described.

11. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a font having an open top and a peripheral wall provided with draft-openings, a vertically-adjustable oxidizing member extending over the whole area of said open top of said font and adapted to seat closely upon said peripheral wall, means for supporting said oxidizing member in adjusted position above and spaced from said peripheral Wall, and a damper for said openings in said peripheral wall; substantially as described.

12. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a font provided with a central drafttube and also with peripheral draft-openings, dampers controlling said tube and said openings, and connection between said dampers whereby they are caused to operate simultaneously; substantially as described.

13. In an apparatus of the character indicated, a font provided with a central drafttube and also with peripheral draft-openings, a slide-damper codperating with said peripheral openings, and a lever having one arm connected to said slide-damper and its other arm provided with a damper-plate controlling said tube; substantially as described.

14:. In an apparatus of the character indi- SETH M. MORRIS.

Witnesses:

W. B. KINKEAD, RONALD MCDONALD. 

